Isaiah 59:1–8

Rampant Transgression

59Look! The hand of Yahweh is not too short to save,^a

and his ear is not too dull to hear.^b

²Rather, your iniquities have been barriers^c between you and your God,

and your sins have hidden his face from you, from hearing.

³For your hands are defiled with blood,

and your fingers with iniquity.

Your lips have spoken lies,

your tongue speaks wickedness.

⁴There is nobody who pleads with^d justice,

and there is nobody who judges with honesty.

They rely on nothing

and speak vanity.

They conceive trouble

and beget iniquity;

⁵they hatch viper eggs,

and they weave a spider web.

One who eats their eggs dies,

and that which is pressed is hatched as a serpent.

⁶Their webs cannot become clothing,

and they cannot cover themselves with their works.

Their works are works of iniquity,

and deeds^e of violence are in their hands.

⁷Their feet run to evil,

and they hasten to shed innocent blood.

Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;

devastation and destruction are in their highways.

⁸They do not know the way of peace,

and there is no justice in their firm paths.

They have made their paths crooked for themselves;

everyone who walks^f in it knows no peace.